Friday 5 December 2014

BURNS


A BURN IS A TYPE OF DAMAGE TO THE SKIN AND UNDERLYING TISSUES OCCASIONED BY HEAT, SUNLIGHT,ELECTRICITY, CHEMICALS,  RADIATION  ETC. SKIN DAMAGE DUE TO BURNS IS DEPENDENT ON THE INTENSITY AND THE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR WHICH THE SKIN IS EXPOSED TO THE CAUSATIVE  AGENT. WHEN THESE AGENTS  COME IN CONTACT WITH THE SKIN, THEY BREAK DOWN PROTEINS IN THAT PART, RESULTING IN DAMAGE AND DEATH OF SKIN CELLS.

INTERESTINGLY, MOST BURN INJURIES DO TAKE PLACE WHILE ONE  IS AT HOME. IF YOU HAVE EVER COME INTO CONTACT WITH HEATED OBJECTS LIKE A  HEATED IRON, STOVE, WATER HEATER OR SIMPLY HOT COFFEE OR WATER, THEN YOU PROBABLY KNOW HOW PAINFUL A SIMPLE BURN INJURY CAN BE.
MEDICAL EXPERTS CLASSIFY BURN INJURIES INTO  3 TYPES; 1ST DEGREE BURN, 2ND DEGREE BURN AND 3RD DEGREE BURN.
1ST DEGREE BURN-    IN THIS KIND OF BURN, THE OUTER LAYER OF THE SKIN IS BURNED BUT NOT ALL THE WAY THROUGH. ALSO  CALLED  SUPERFICIAL  BURN, 1ST DEGREE BURN INJURIES ARE OF PARTIAL-THICKNESS  AND ALSO AN  INJURY  OF FULL –THICKNESS. SUPERFICIAL BURNS AFFECT THE EPIDERMIS WHICH IS THE OUTMOST LAYER OF THE  SKIN. THE SKIN  SURFACE TURNS RED  WITHOUT ANY BLISTERS AND GENERALLY HEALS WITHIN A WEEK’S TIME. PAIN IS  SOMETIMES  PRESENT AND IT IS CONSIDERED THE LEAST SERIOUS BURNS.

2ND DEGREE BURN -  THIS IS ALSO CALLED  PARTIAL- THICKNESS BURN. IT IS OFTEN A BURN THAT AFFECTS THE UNDERLYING LAYERS. WHEN THE FIRST LAYER OF SKIN HAS BEEN BURNED THROUGH AND THE SECOND LAYER OF SKIN HAS ALSO BURNED, THE INJURY IS CALLED A SECOND DEGREE  BURN. THE  SKIN TURNS PALE PINK IN COLOUR. THE BURNT AREA MIGHT ALSO DEVELOP BLISTERS. THE SKIN TAKES  ON  AN INTENSELY REDDENED, SPLOTCHY APPEARANCE. THERE IS ALSO SEVERE PAIN AND  SWELLING
3RD DEGREE BURNS -  FULL THICKNESS BURNS ARE CALLED 3RD BURNS. THIS IS WHERE  ALL THE LAYERS OF THE SKIN  GET DAMAGED. THEY ARE NOT PAINFUL BECAUSE THE NERVES UNDER THE SKIN  ARE DESTROYED.  THE SKIN APPEARS  BROWN OR CLEAR WHITE IN COLOUR AND TURNS DRY AND LEATHER –LIKE. THIRD DEGREE BURNS  ARE MARKED SOMETIMES BY SWELLING.
WHEN  HOWEVER, THE INJURY   EXTENDS DEEPER TO THE TENDONS OR EVEN JOINTS AND BONES, IT IS  TERMED A 4TH DEGREE BURN. THIS AFFECTS THE  DEEP LAYERS OF THE SKIN AND ARE ALSO CALLED  FULL THICKNESS BURNS. THEY CAUSE   WHITE OR BLACKENED, BURNED  SKIN. THE SKIN MAY ALSO BE  NUMB.
THOUGH BURNS ARE MOSTLY ACCIDENTAL  ARISING FROM COMING IN CONTACT WITH  HOT  OBJECTS OR DANGEROUS CHEMICALS, THERE   ARE SOME THAT ARE NOT. A  MIDDLE AGED WOMAN IN CANADA   ENDED UP WITH SECOND DEGREE BURNS WHILE TRYING TO REMOVE THE TATOO ON HER ARM IN A  TATOO REMOVING CLINIC.
ANAL BLEACHING WHICH HAS BECOME  POPULAR  IN JAMAICA IS A DANGEROUS   ACTIVITY THAT PREDISPOSES  THEM TO GETTING BURNS. SOME WOMEN WERE BADLY BURNT IN THE PROCESS. THE CREAM USED FOR ANAL BLEACHING CONTAINS  TWO POWERFUL CHEMICALS AND COULD PROVE DANGEROUS IF NOT APPLIED WITH CARE.

TREATMENT FOR BURNS
IN TREATING BURN INJURIES, THEY ARE  BROADLY GROUPED INTO TWO; MINOR AND MAJOR BURNS;
MINOR BURNS – THESE ARE  1ST DEGREE BURNS THAT OCCUR ANYWHERE ON THE BODY AS WELL AS 2ND DEGREE BURNS OF LESS THAN 2-3 INCHES WIDE.
MAJOR BURNS
THESES INCLUDE 3RD DEGREE BURNS AND 2ND DEGREE BURNS OF MORE THAN 2-3 INCHES WIDE IN ADDITION TO SECOND DEGREE  BURNS ON THE HANDS, FEET, FACE, GROIN, BUTTOCKS OR A MAJOR JOINT.
SINCE BURNS ARE USUALLY EMERGENCIES, FIRST AID TREATMENT ARE NOT ONLY NECESSARY BUT COULD PROVE CRUCIAL IN THE HEALING PROCESS. IT IS ADVISED THAT BEFORE GIVING FIRST AID, IT IS IMPORTANT TO ESTABLISH WHAT TYPE OF BURN THE PERSON HAS. IF YOU AREN’T SURE, TREAT IT AS A MAJOR BURN . SERIOUS  BURNS NEED IMMEDIATE MEDICAL CARE. IF  THE SKIN IS UNBROKEN, RUN COOL WATER OVER THE AREA  OF THE BURN OR SOAK IT IN A COOL WATER BATH.  KEEP THE AREA  UNDER WATER FOR AT LEAST FIVE MINUTES. A CLEAN COLD WET TOWEL WILL ALSO HELP REDUCE PAIN. IT IS  EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO CALM AND REASSURE THE PERSON. AFTER FLUSHING OR SOAKING THE BURN, COVER IT WITH A DRY , STERILE BANDAGE OR CLEAN DRESSING. PROTECT THE BURN FROM PRESSURE AND FRICTION. OVER THE COUNTER DRUGS CAN HELP RELIEVE PAIN AND SWELLING. MOISTURIZING LOTIONS  ALSO HELP ONCE THE  SKIN  BECOMES  DRY.
FOR MAJOR BURNS, IT IS ADVISABLE TO WRAP THE PERSON IN THICK MATERIAL SUCH AS  A WOOL OR COTTON COAT, RUG, OR BLANGET AS THIS WOULD HELP PUT THE FLAMES OUT. POUR WATER ON THE PERSON AND WHERE   THERE IS AN AMBULANCE SERVICE, THEY SHOULD BE CALLED.. ENSURE THAT THE PERSON IS NO LONGER TOUCHING ANY BURNING OR SMOKING MATERIALS. DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE BURNED CLOTHING THAT IS STUCK TO THE SKIN BECAUSE THIS COULD CAUSE MORE HARM FOR THE PERSON. MAKE SURE THE PERSON IS BREATHING. IF NECESSARY, BEGIN RESCUE BREATHING AND RESUSCITATION. COVER THE BURN AREA WITH A DRY STERILE CLOTH. A SHEET WILL DO IF THE BURNED AREA IS LARGE. DO NOT  APPLY ANY  OINTMENTS. AVOID  BREAKING  BURN BLISTERS. IF FINGERS  OR TOES HAVE BEEN BURNED, SEPARATE THEM WITH DRY, STERILE, NON-STICKY BANDAGE.  RAISE THE BODY PART THAT IS BURNED ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE HEART. PROTECT THE BURN AREA FROM PRESSURE AND FRICTION. IN THE EVENT THAT  THE PERSON DID NOT HAVE A HEAD, NECK, BACK OR LEG INJURY, LAY THE PERSON FLAT, RAISE THE FEET ABOUT 12 INCHES AND COVER HIM OR HER WITH A COAT OR BLANKET.
BEYOND THESE, SOME 3RD DEGREE BURNS REQUIRE SPECIALISED MEDICAL CARE IN BURN CENTERS. FULL-THICKNESS USUALLY  REQUIRE  TREATMENTS SUCH AS GRAFING . SKIN  GRAFTING  IS A KIND OF   GRAFT SURGERY  INVOLVING THE TRANSPLANTATION OF SKIN.  THE GRAFTING SEEKS TO  REDUCE THE TREATMENT NEEDED AS WELL AS IMPROVE THE FUCNTION  AND  APPEARANCE  OF THE AREA  OF THE BODY WHICH RECEIVES THE SKIN GRAFT.

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